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Object Overview
This Baroque Revival aneroid barometer from the late 19th century, crafted by the renowned clockmaker Antoine Redier, is made of bronze and features rich decorative detailing typical of Baroque and Neoclassical interior elements.
Flanking the body, two griffins symmetrically hold an oval frame, their heads turned toward each other. These mythical creatures symbolize strength, protection, and grandeur. Below, at the base of the frame, a lion's mask with a ring in its mouth serves as a striking decorative element. The lion represents power and prestige, while the ring in its mouth reflects the ornamental traditions of the period. Surrounding the barometer, an elaborate design of scrolls and foliage fills the space, creating a sense of depth and movement.
The casing is executed in the Neo-Baroque style, characterized by its intricate scrollwork, mythological figures, and symmetry. At the top, an oval cartouche (shield) framed by scrolls and supported by griffins crowns the composition. The smooth, unadorned oval surface resembles a blank medallion or heraldic shield—a feature often used for coats of arms, monograms, or personal emblems, such as family crests. The cartouche provides a vertical completion, drawing the eye to the central part of the barometer.
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Redier
brass, bronze, cardboard, glass
The barometer features Redier’s conventional continental cantilever-type movement, which can be observed through the open crackle-finish cardboard dial signed with his intricate “ARED” logo. The barometric scale, measured in centimeters of mercury, ranges from 69 to 80 cm and includes a standard Dutch-language weather indication.
A distinctive feature of the Redier mechanism design is the noticeably thickened aneroid capsule, with a coil spring taking the central position, hidden inside between the membranes. This can be observed by looking at the raised center of the sensitive chamber, where the concentric waves typical of all aneroid membranes are absent.
To measure changes in the height of the capsule membrane, a pin is soldered to it, pointing upwards and pressing against a lever located between two sharp screw mounts. This lever, in turn, supports a steel arm from above, which engages with the toothed segment of a brass rack. Finally, the rack drives the gear wheel on the axis of the barometer’s pointer.
On the back of the barometer, a movable brass stand allows it to be placed on a table or other horizontal surfaces, providing versatility in display.
The Gudendag company, whose name also appears on the dials of barometers, was a family business and retailer established around 1890 in Amsterdam at Kalverstraat 76. Its founder, Joseph von Gudendag (born in 1849), was an instrument maker. Later, his son Ferdinand von Gudendag (born in 1875), also an instrument maker, joined the business.
The company specialized in producing optical instruments, thermometers, and barometers, making it a notable enterprise of its time. Additionally, an article in De Echo van het Zuiden dated May 14, 1885, mentioned that the Gudendag store displayed a sample of an electric lantern designed by the Parisian engineer G. Trouvé.